Sydney Dogs & Cats Home has opened its permanent Kurnell facility, more than doubling its capacity to help lost and abandoned pets in Sydney.
The new 20,000-square-metre Sutherland Shire animal rescue centre is expected to support more than 2,000 animal adoptions each year.
It also provides the organisation’s first permanent home since it left Carlton in 2021.
A $14.3 million NSW Government contribution funds the new facility on Crown land, with construction led by NSW Public Works.
The opening comes as Sydney Dogs & Cats Home marks 80 years of caring for animals.
Since 1946, the organisation has provided shelter and veterinary care, rehoming more than 200,000 animals.
Help your lost pet find their way home
To help reunite you with your pet if they get lost, register them at the NSW Pet Registry using your MyServiceNSW details.
“Sydney Dogs and Cats Home has been caring for lost and injured animals in Sydney for eighty years,” says Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns.
“Hundreds of thousands of pets have found loving new homes, as a result of the work of this organisation.
“After they had to leave their last home in 2021, they were at risk of shutting their doors altogether.
“This would have been a huge loss for the community and we couldn’t let that happen.
“An organisation that has spent 80 years helping dogs and cats find homes finally has a permanent home of its own,” Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig said.
“It’s a fitting milestone for the staff and volunteers who do this work every day.
“Councils rely on organisations like Sydney Dogs & Cats Home to care for lost and abandoned animals, reunite pets with their owners and find new homes when they can’t. That work deserves proper support.
Managing director Melissa Penn says the move ends years of working across temporary sites.
“In our 80th year, having a permanent home again is incredibly significant for Sydney Dogs & Cats Home.
“After years of operating across temporary facilities, our animals, staff and volunteers finally have a place to call home,” she says.
“The NSW Government’s investment was critical to making Kurnell a reality, and we’re deeply grateful to the Premier, Minister Hoenig and the Office of Local Government for their support.”
What the new Sydney Dogs & Cats Home in Kurnell will provide
According to the NSW Government, the facility will help meet rising demand as more pets are surrendered or abandoned.
The government identifies cost-of-living pressures as a contributing factor.
Each year, the Kurnell site is expected to:
- Care for more than 3,000 animals.
- Facilitate more than 2,000 adoptions.
- Reunite more than 1,000 lost pets with their families.
- Support more than 800 animals through foster care.
These figures represent projected annual activity, rather than results already achieved.
The organisation currently provides contracted pound services for eight Sydney councils.
They include Georges River, Inner West, Lane Cove, North Sydney, Parramatta, Randwick, Strathfield and Waverley.
The larger facility creates scope to work with more councils and expand volunteer, foster care and community outreach programs.
It also provides further professional development opportunities for veterinary and animal care students.
Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig says the opening recognises decades of work by staff and volunteers.
“An organisation that has spent 80 years helping dogs and cats find homes finally has a permanent home of its own.
“It’s a fitting milestone for the staff and volunteers who do this work every day,” he says.
“If you’re thinking about getting a dog or cat, I’d encourage you to consider adopting one.
“And if you already have a pet, make sure it’s microchipped and registered. It gives you a much better chance of getting it back if it goes missing.”
While the centre is open, Penn says further work and funding are needed.
“Opening the doors is a huge milestone, but it’s also the beginning of the next chapter.
“We still have more to build and fund so Kurnell can reach its full potential, and we can care for even more animals who need us.”
Considering adoption? Read our guide to common pet rescue myths before choosing a companion.
Contact Sydney Dogs & Cats Home in Kurnell
- Address: 69–83 Sir Joseph Banks Drive, Kurnell NSW 2231.
- Phone: 02 9587 9611 (daily, 8.30am–5pm).
- Email: info@sydneydogsandcatshome.org.
- Website: Sydney Dogs & Cats Home.
- Public access: daily, 8am–5pm. Adoption walk-ins are welcome from 10am–4pm.
Some animals live with foster carers, so call ahead to confirm whether a particular pet is at Kurnell.
The veterinary clinic remains at Strathfield South. Check the organisation’s contact and visiting information before travelling.
